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No time left for playing
CHILDREN involved in too many extra-curricular activities can become stressed, lose confidence and forget how to play, according to a US psychologist.
Dr Alvin Rosenfeld, author of The Overscheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap, believes structured activities can rob children of the ability to develop imagination.
He says children who are ferried between sports training, music lessons and tutors can become stressed and are easily bored when left to amuse themselves.
According to Dr Rosenfeld, ``overscheduled'' children can also suffer low self-esteem.
Pushy parents can make their children feel like they are not good enough, he said.
``We believe that pushing is the start kids need, when all they really need is us,'' he said. ``People have forgotten that childhood is a preparation, not a performance.''
The Institute for Play, a Californian research centre, has found play can help children learn to share, resolve conflict and develop initiative.
Children deprived of this fail to learn important social skills and coping abilities.
According to Deakin University lecturer and psychologist Dr Helen McGrath, these children are at a higher risk
of depression and
drug abuse.
``Kids are spending huge amounts of time in solitary activities,'' she said. ``They're spending hours in front of the TV and computer games.
``By the time they've had their three sessions a week and time on the computer there's no time left for anything else.
``It leaves them very little time to develop initiative and the end result is that you have a lot of very bored kids.''
Dr McGrath said boredom often led young people to experiment with drugs, particularly marijuana. And she said children who lacked coping skills had higher rates of depression.
``Parents, if they're going to encourage those extra-curricular things, should look at how much initiative is involved,'' she said.
Educational and clini cal psychologist Erica Frydenburg, an associate professor at Melbourne University, said parents could encourage their children without being overzealous.
TOO ACTIVE
HOW to tell if your child is overscheduled.
Does your child:
PLAY more than one sport in a season?
THROW tantrums, dawdle or lose equipment when you are trying to get out the door?
HAVE trouble keeping track of where they are supposed to be on a particular day?
COMPLAIN about having nothing to do when they are not in a structured activity?
COMPLAIN they never get to do what they want to do?
HAVE trouble sleeping?
HAVE trouble finding things to do alone or at home?
HAVE an activity schedule that overburdens you or other family members so that you find yourself complaining about it?
GET very anxious when they anticipate disapproval from coaches, teachers or other adults in positions of authority?
Do you think your child's life is stressful?
If you answered yes to any of these questions your child may have a problem.
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